New 'Avengers: Endgame' Details Revealed in Super Bowl Spot

Thirty seconds of new footage from the follow-up to 'Avengers: Infinity War' raised more questions than answers.

The Super Bowl spot for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame was one that seemed to confirm a couple of pieces of long-running speculation while also raising questions about just what kind of a place the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become in the wake of Avengers: Infinity War. Pretty impressive for just 30 seconds of footage. Here are some of the most interesting discoveries.

What has happened to New York? The opening shots of the spot — most clearly in the shot of the Statue of Liberty at 0:05 — reveal a very different New York City than audiences are used to, with Liberty Island now the center of what looks to be a whole new society of survivors of the Snap under an impressively overcast, dim sky. Not only does this bring to mind the issue of what has happened to the rest of humanity left behind in the wake of Thanos’ success in the previous installment (As also seen by the poster at the support group at 0:08, asking “Where Do We Go, Now That They’re Gone?”), but it would appear to confirm that Endgame doesn’t pick up immediately after the events of Infinity War, because society has to have taken some time to regroup. But is the time jump between movies the rumored five years, or something less dramatic?

Tony Stark is not alone: Despite what appeared to be the case in the first full trailer for the movie, the shot at 0:14 confirms that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) hasn’t given up, and isn’t on his own (just yet), because he certainly seems to be pretty industriously working alongside Nebula (Karen Gillan) in the brief glimpse we get to see of them. Could he be building the space ship that we see him on in the first trailer? And if so, what happened to Nebula between those two shots that she’s not on the ship with Tony?

Incoming: What is everyone looking at, at 0:15? There’s clearly something up in the sky outside of the Avengers Compound — could it be Tony Stark returning to Earth somehow, or something and someone else? Considering the characters that aren’t present in that shot, it’s just as likely — if not more so — that it’s Thor (Chris Hemsworth) or Rocket (Sean Gunn/Bradley Cooper) coming to visit. (Audiences have already seen Ant-Man’s arrival in the first trailer.) Also worth noting: This is the only clear shot we get of Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner in the entire spot, which is odd; it feels as if something could and should be taken from the fact that we spend less time with him than we do War Machine, considering just how important he was to Infinity War. Is it possible we don’t see more of him because he spends more of the movie Hulked up?

Thor Still Has His New Hammer: Sure, Stormbreaker didn’t manage to kill Thanos in Infinity War, but Chris Hemsworth’s Thunder God hasn’t abandoned his new weapon because of that; you can see him holding it at 0:19. Does this mean that it might yet be responsible for the death of Thanos? (And while we’re on the subject of Thor and that particular shot, what is the possibility that the mountains in the background are in the same location as the hills and water in the background of Rocket’s appearance at 0:16? Are the two living together in seclusion from everyone else after the Snap?)

The New Avengers: The final shot of what, presumably, is the new Avengers team for Endgame at 0:25 shows an interesting lineup: Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Rocket Raccoon, Ant-Man, War Machine and another figure in the background too obscured to make out properly. Could that be Ronin (AKA Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye in his new costumed identity)? That would make sense considering his appearance earlier in the trailer at 0:21. It’s worth bearing in mind that promotion for Avengers: Infinity War featured shots that didn’t exist in the final movie, and that might be the case here, too — but in that case, why isn’t Iron Man here? (Also worth noting that this shot could be taken as confirmation of the rumor that Rocket joins the Avengers in the movie.)

Avengers: Endgame will continue to provoke speculation and ask questions as it heads toward its April 26 release.